Improved machine for bending sheet metal



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICEo JOHN VRIGHT, OF PLANTSVILLE,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. STOV MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE.

Specification forming part oi' Leiters Patent N0. 16,1156, dated January20, 18.57.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN XVEiGi-ir, of Plantsville, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Bending the Edges of Sheet Metal, so thatthey may be locked together, used-chiefly in constructing stove-pipes;and I-do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making part of this specitication, said drawings being transversesections of my improvement.

This invention consists in the employment of an anti-friction plate forthe purpose of giving accuracy in the bending of the metal.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side sectional elevation ofmy machine in position for commencing the bend. Fig. 2 is asimilarelevation showing the machine in position While the bending isbeing done.

A is a case of the ordinary construction, in which a cylindrical bar, B,turns. A plate, C', is attached to B by a suitable screw.

K is a gage under the plate to regulate the width of the lock.

F is a movable jaw, between which and plate C the sheet 'of metal isgripped.

D is an anti-friction plate, hinged to the ends ofjaw F. The axis ofmotion of D is at its extreme inner edge at x. The position occupied byplate D when the lock is turned is seen in Fig. 2.

- C is the handle by which bar B is turned.

E is a spring by which plate D is pulled back to position in Fig. lafter bending.

All the ordinary folding-machines in use are defective in this importantparticular: they present no means of pressing the sheet against the edgeof the plate over which it is bent during the bending operation.Consequently the sheet is liable to curl or tobend at some intermediatepoint between its outer edge and the edge of the plate over which itshonld'fold.

This is especially the case if the quality of the metal is irregular, orweaker in some places than others.

The object of my improvement is to remedy this defect and to insure thefolding of the metal at the exact point required, and gaged.

Vhen the sheet of metal b is placed in the machine, as shown in Fig. 1,the operator applies his hand to handle C and carries the same over indirection of arrow. The result is that the under side ofplate D beingpressed against the tip c of case A, the plate D is caused to turn onits axis and to bend the sheet of metal over the edge of C', as seen inFig. 2. d, Fig. l, is a cavity between bar B and case A, into whichplate C and plateD pass when the sheet is being bent, as in Fig. 2.Another advantage of plate D is that by its use the friction in bendingmetal sheets is greatly reduced, as the under side of plate D may bekept lubricated; but in other machines the lubrication would have to beapplied to the sheet itself', and as that Would injure the work it isnot done. .The plate D may or may not be hinged to bar C. Its actionwill be the same in either case. The plate D is also applicable to otheranalogous machines for holding metals, as its employment is notnecessarily limited to the precise construction of machine hereindescribed.

I disclaim every part of the machine de scribed which is seen in otheranalogous machines; but

I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The plate D, whenarranged and employed in the manner and for the purposes substantiallyas herein set forth.

` JOHN VRIGHT. \Vitnesses:

WALTER S. MERRELL, LEWIS WOODRUFF.

